Noam N. Levey, KFF Health News

Most recent articles by Noam N. Levey, KFF Health News

Biden administration advances plan to remove medical debt from credit scores
Biden administration advances plan to remove medical debt from credit scores
Noam N. Levey, KFF Health News
June 12, 2024
9:25 am

Americans would no longer have to worry about medical debts dragging down their credit scores under federal regulations proposed Tuesday by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Why one New York Health System stopped suing its patients
Why one New York Health System stopped suing its patients
Noam N. Levey, KFF Health News
May 15, 2024
9:05 am

American hospital officials often insist that lawsuits and other aggressive collections, though unsavory, are necessary to protect health systems’ finances and deter freeloading.

Medical debt is disappearing from Americans’ credit reports, lifting scores
Medical debt is disappearing from Americans’ credit reports, lifting scores
Noam N. Levey, KFF Health News
November 3, 2023
10:30 am

The share of American consumers with medical debt on their credit reports has declined dramatically over the past year as major credit rating agencies removed small unpaid bills and debts that were less than a year old, according to a new analysis from the nonprofit Urban Institute.

Biden administration to ban medical debt from Americans’ credit scores
Biden administration to ban medical debt from Americans’ credit scores
Noam N. Levey, KFF Health News
September 22, 2023
10:00 am

The Biden administration announced a major initiative to protect Americans from medical debt on Thursday, outlining plans to develop federal rules barring unpaid medical bills from affecting patients’ credit scores.

A father dreamed of a home for his family. Medical debt nearly pushed them onto the streets.
A father dreamed of a home for his family. Medical debt nearly pushed them onto the streets.
Noam N. Levey, KFF Health News
September 11, 2023
10:30 am

Across the country, medical debt forces legions of Americans to make painful sacrifices.

North Carolina hospitals have sued thousands of their patients, a new report finds
North Carolina hospitals have sued thousands of their patients, a new report finds
Noam N. Levey, KFF Health News
August 16, 2023
2:00 pm

North Carolina hospitals — led by the state’s largest public medical system — have sued thousands of their patients since 2017, according to a new analysis.

What one lending company’s hospital contracts reveal about financing patient debt
What one lending company’s hospital contracts reveal about financing patient debt
Noam N. Levey, KFF Health News
August 8, 2023
3:00 pm

As KFF Health News reported in November, the rise of the patient financing industry is often less welcome for patients.

Medical debt is making Americans angry. Doctors and hospitals ignore this at their peril.
Medical debt is making Americans angry. Doctors and hospitals ignore this at their peril.
Noam N. Levey, KFF Health News
July 21, 2023
10:00 am

Some conversations with patients have been heartbreaking. Some enraging. Many have revealed a deep and disturbing disillusionment with our health care system.

‘We’re not doing that’: Why a Black couple wouldn’t crowdfund to pay off medical debts
‘We’re not doing that’: Why a Black couple wouldn’t crowdfund to pay off medical debts
Noam N. Levey, KFF Health News
June 26, 2023
2:30 pm

Health care debt now burdens an estimated 100 million people in the U.S., according to a KFF Health News-NPR investigation.

International rights group calls out US for allowing hospitals to push millions into debt
International rights group calls out US for allowing hospitals to push millions into debt
Noam N. Levey, KFF Health News
June 15, 2023
3:00 pm

Human Rights Watch is taking aim at U.S. hospitals for pushing millions of American patients into debt.

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